从希腊天学到哥白尼革命(下篇)

From Greek Cosmology to Copernican Revolution(II)

古希腊人建立了一套相当完备的宇宙论大地是球形的,是地球,处在宇宙中央,有若干天球围绕地球旋转,恒星和七大行星分别镶嵌在这些天球上。希腊的天学或宇宙论是希腊自然哲学的一部分。要彻底改变希腊的天学观念,需要彻底改变希腊的自然图景。更有甚者,需要把自然哲学的思考方式转变为近代科学的思考方式。哥白尼通常被视为近代科学第一人。本文介绍了科学史家对哥白尼革命的看法,并提供了作者的相关分析。

The Greeks established a rather comprehensive cosmology, in which the earth was conceived in the center of the universe with heavenly spheres moving around it. Greek cosmology is part of their natural philosophy, and a radical change of it requires no less than an overhaul of their basic view on the physical world, which would ultimately bring about a turn or a revolution from philosophical speculation on nature to the ways of modern sciences. Copernicus has been regarded as the first figure initiating this revolution. His contributions and limits are discussed in the paper.